Changes Coming in 2016 to WVDOH Technician Programs for Asphalt and Compaction

Friday, November 13, 2015

The DOH has announced that Section 401.6 of the Standard Specifications is being updated to require each paving crew in 2016 to have a certified Asphalt Field Technician (AFT) on the project during paving operations. The APAWV/CAWV/DOH have been offering this training and certification for a few years in advance of it being required.

The name of this new certification is also being changed to Asphalt Field and Compaction Technician (AFCT), to reflect that this individual can also perform nuclear density testing on asphalt.

Section 401.6 changes will be included in the 2016 Supplemental Specifications. The update also requires a technician performing asphalt compaction testing on paving projects to hold the new AFCT certification. However, for the 2016 and 2017 construction seasons, technicians that hold a current AFT certification or Compaction Technician certification may continue testing asphalt compaction. This option ends December 31, 2017. During this transition period, some grandfathering is allowed and is described in the below memo from Ron Stanevich, Director, MCS&T Division.

The current Compaction Technician certification is also undergoing an overhaul. The name of this certification is being changed to Soil and Aggregate CompactionTechnician certification, to reflect that this program will no longer cover asphalt compaction. As noted earlier, compaction testing of asphalt pavements is being moved to the responsibility of the new Asphalt Field and Compaction Technician. Again, current certified Compaction Technicians can still perform asphalt compaction testing until December 31, 2017. Additionally, any technician with the AFT certification that does not hold the combined compaction certification will meet the requirements of the 401.6 Specification change until December 31, 2017.

We welcome questions and comments regarding these changes. Registration information for all of the Technician Refresher courses can be found at www.cawv.org.